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City of Mercer Island
Request for Proposals - E-Government Services
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals from qualified consultants to provide a wide range of services for the redesign of the City of Mercer Island's website (www.ci.mercer-island.wa.us) and the development of the City's intranet.
BACKGROUND
In December of 2000, the City Council adopted a management and budget policy, "E-Government Initiative" as part of the 2001-2002 Biennial Budget. In that policy, the Council authorized the creation of a two-year position within the City Clerk's Office to serve as City Public Information Officer and Project Manager for the E-Government Initiative. The Council also directed staff to utilize "out-sourced" planning and design support and undertake a re-construction of the City's internet website that includes enhanced citizen informational and communication capabilities; to develop a city intranet; and, to participate in the Innovations Group E-Government Forum along with other King County cities in order to assess the value of and requirements for providing on-line transactional municipal services.
The City is currently drafting its e-government strategic plan and it is expected to be completed by June 2001. The City's e-government vision is attached to this RFP as well as the results of our e-government citizen survey.
Examples of website services, among others, include the following:
- On-line agendas and staff reports for the City Council, Planning Commission and Design Commission.
- Citizen surveys concerning various policy issues.
- Email communications concerning projects and issues of special concern to citizens.
- An online city newsletter.
- Searchable documents - municipal code, design guidelines, city resolutions and ordinances.
- Access to GIS databases and maps.
The City's computing environment is: TCP/IP-based, 100 Mb Ethernet WAN, full T-1 connection to the internet. Databases used are Access 97, SQL-server and Informix.
PROPOSAL
If you choose to submit a proposal, you should do so in a thorough yet concise fashion. Proposals are to be prepared at your own expense. The proposal should address, at a minimum, the following information:
- Information on the organization.
- A brief discussion of your understanding of the issues and challenges facing the City in implementing an e-govemment program as derived from our strategic plan.
- A description of the types of services you would like to provide in supporting our e-government program and applicable timelines to provide such services.
- A description of logistics and project management systems related to the consultant engagement.
- Information on the person or persons you propose to assign to the project.
- In addition the response should include a brief description of comparable assignments for municipal clients.
- Provide consultant fee information and clearly described your fee structure(s). Please list any cost incentives or discounts that may apply. Please include separate pricing options for internet website development with and without hosting service; and/or intranet develop with and without hosting services.
- Items you may wish to address when preparing your proposal:
- User Interface
- Scalability
- Web Browser Interface
- Transaction Engine
- Personalization/Membership
- E-Commerce
- Security Measures and Counter Measures
- ADA Requirements
- Constant Controlled Information
- Dissemination
- Training
- Universal Access
- Search Engine Capability
- Workflow/Routing
- Archive/retrievaI
- Intranet
- Content Management
- XML/APL Integration
- Publishing Standards
- Support and Consulting Services
SELECTION CRITERIA
The selection of a consultant with which to negotiate a contract will be based upon the following factors:
- The qualifications and expertise of the organization and the persons to be assigned to the project.
- The "fit" of the organization's expertise with the needs of the City in pursuing its e-government program.
- The "fit" of the organization's systems with the City's computing environment.
- The consultant fee rates.
- In consideration of all the above factors, the extent to which the proposed consulting services will advance the City toward its e-government program objectives.
PROCESS
In selecting the successful vendor, the City will be looking for the best match as described in the above selection criteria. In addition, rather than specify a definitive set of tasks and requirements for the consultant, the City invites you to offer services that take best advantage of the core competencies found in your organization consistent with the information found in this RIFP including the City's E-Government Vision and the results of our citizen survey. The City will then consider a range of options in defining a scope of services for the consultant contract. The City reserves the right to select any combination of internet and/or intranet services and may choose more than one vendor as appropriate to best meet the City's needs.
After receiving proposals, the City may choose to have an additional meeting or conference call with a select number of vendors. The City then intends to negotiate a scope of work and contract for services with the selected vendor or vendors for Council's approval at the Council Meeting of June 4, 2001.
Please submit ten (10) copies of your written proposal no later than 5:00 pm, May 2, 2001, addressed to:
Tina Eggers
City Clerk/Public Information Officer
City of Mercer Island
9611 SE 36th Street
Mercer Island WA 98040-3732
Inquiries may be addressed to: tina.eggers@ci.mercer-island.wa.us
E-Government Vision
The right content at the right time from the right source. Think big, but start small.
E-government first and foremost is a tool that will allow for better customer service in the delivery of government services and information. Our customers, both internal and external, want easy access to the services that we provide and easy ways to communicate with us.
E-government is also about benefiting society at large. Citizens are and will be served by the services offered, and also by monies saved by empowering government employees to be more efficient and productive. Some have said that information is power. If that is true, then this is also about empowering our community and customers. E-government is about embracing technology and using it to provide information when the customer wants and needs it - it is the medium. E-government also means serving all. It means internal as well as external customers. Government is in the business of serving citizens. E-government provides us with an opportunity to accomplish our mission at a higher level of service, efficiency and empowerment.
E-government represents both a tool for delivery of municipal services and a vehicle for applying critical thinking to how local governments organize and deploy their business practices. Our citizens increasingly are seeking out the convenience, speed and accuracy of information and services delivered on-line. Current generations of children have only known a world where virtually anything can be obtained via the internet - anything (perhaps) excepting local government services. Mercer Island adults are increasingly using internet technologies in their business and home lives; many make their livelihood in the information technology industry.
In responding to the rising demand for on-line services, the City can use the acquisition of internet technologies as the impetus to reconsider how we conduct our businesses. Re-engineered business systems - a benefit to all citizens and taxpayers - can be a real and tangible outcome of e-government.
To be a success, E-Gov must embrace technology in a way that allows the user to interact with this medium in a simple and intuitive manner. It should not require any special skill or knowledge beyond thinking and speaking. It must be flexible to meet the needs of various groups and individuals. It must be able to keep up with technology. While we should attempt to predict the future direction of technology as we begin to invest in this project, our systems should be designed in a manner that allows flexibility to adapt to changes in technology.
The internet/intranet, in turn, become a highly efficient tool for City employees to communicate and conduct business with the citizenry and with each other. Paper records become electronic. Information access is instantaneous. City staff are able to add value to the information and the services at very low costs.
Access to on-line city services and information through the medium of e-government offers great potential to reach more residents and taxpayers than current methods. Citizen engagement on important issues is served as is citizen understanding of the complex nature of community issues. The convenience of the internet, with its inherent 24 hour, 7 day a week availability, makes participation in City affairs a possibility for many families whose time constraints are daunting.
For on-line city services to be successful, users must be confident in the privacy and security of the Web-based information services. The public expectation is that E-Gov on-line services are always available, that transactions are secure, and that government organizations are not sharing information about citizens. Meeting these expectations will be a necessary and ongoing challenge and responsibility.
E-Government Citizen Survey/Suggestion Form Results
FINAL 4/9/01
271 Responses: 83% via paper; 17% via on-line www.ci.mercer-island.wa.uslegov
Demographic Information:
94% Citizens/Residents
13% School/Students
10% Businesses
02% Community Organizations
01% City Employees
Access to Internet:
83% Home
46% Work
Other Technology:
74% Own/Use Cellular Phone
21% Own/Use Personal Digital Asst.
63% Have purchased online within the last year
31% Have visited the City's website
City Interaction:
Top 6: Services customer would use on-line:
- Report a problem
- Recreation Class Sign-up
- Permits
- File a complaint
- Pay Parking Tickets
- Pay Utility Bills
Top 6. Information customer would find valuable on-line:
- Recreation Guide
- Mapping
- Park Information
- Fee Schedule
- Neighborhood Info
- Codes & Laws
Other:
53% Would be interested in receiving information and updates regarding the egov process.
16% Would be interested in participating in an egov focus group.